Monster power confirmed for next Mercedes-AMG C 63

The all-new 2021 Mercedes-AMG C 63e Performance will produce as much as 520kW from its high-tech 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid powertrain thanks to a new turbo and batteries lifted from the F1 car.

Confirming the C 63 would be the first recipient of AMG's E-Performance plug-in hybrid tech, engineers speaking to carsales revealed that it would blend a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo that produces "more than 330kW" with a 150kW electric motor.

The combined result will be "at least 480kW".

That last figure is thought to be an understatement, with the most powerful Mercedes-AMG C 63e S version getting as much 500kW or even 520kW.

Like before, on the bottom rung of the AMG C-Class ladder is an entry-level C 43.

Set to keep its current moniker, the all-new Mercedes-AMG C 43 based on the W206 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will lose the 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 for a heavily updated version of the M139 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo from the Mercedes-AMG A 45.

Mounted longitudinally, the already-punchy 2.0-litre that produces 310kW in the hatch gains 48-volt mild-hybrid power with the addition of a belt-drive starter-alternator that adds up to 10kW.

The centrepiece of the next C 43 will be its MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit - Heat) turbo that will also feature in the C 63 twins and lifts its technology directly from the world championship-winning Mercedes-AMG F1.

It features a narrow 40mm-wide electric motor integrated on the shaft between the exhaust gas side and the compressor wheel on the fresh-air side of the turbo.

The advantage of the MGU-H is its ability to almost instantly spin up the compressor wheel before the exhaust gases take over and spin the compressor's blades.

Capable of producing full boost from little more than idle, turbo lag should be non-existent and even when you lift off the throttle the turbocharger can maintain boost pressure by continuing to spin at 156,000rpm.

The same system can also recover energy under braking and is responsible for boosting the C 43's peak power to a rumoured 350kW.

Combined with an evolution of the nine-speed AMG Speedshift MCT 9G transmission, the mild-hybrid tech and F1-derived turbo should ensure a 0-100km/h sprint of around 4.0 seconds, especially if Benz equips the C 43 once again with its 4MATIC all-wheel drive system.

Both emissions and fuel consumption will also fall, which could pave the way for an even more efficient, lighter rear-wheel drive version.

And weight is the enemy of the AMG C 43's bigger brother. The C 63 is 200kg heavier because it get AMG's all-new 'P3' plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Using the bones of the entry AMG C-Class as a starting point, the C 63 shares its 350kW 2.0-litre MGU-H turbo but adds a powerful electric motor, energy-dense F1-derived battery back and associated electric components.

Instead of sourcing the plug-in hybrid gubbins from, say, the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the C 63 powertrain has been completely developed in-house.

That is why, instead of neatly sandwiching the electric motor between the combustion engine and transmission, it's mounted on the rear axle, along with the two-speed transmission, an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential, plus a battery that sits beneath the boot floor.

This, says AMG, provides for an optimum weight distribution and allows engineers to fit a far larger, more powerful electric motor.

Mercedes-Benz hasn't announced what pure-electric range the 6.1kWh lithium-ion battery provides, but says it owes its cutting-edge design to its F1 team.

That explains why, weighing in at 89kg, it has a power density of 17.kW/kg – a figure double that of most conventional batteries.

Better still, thanks to AMG's direct cooling invention, the batteries can provide the system with 70kW of continuous power and up to 150kW for 10 seconds.

The advanced cooling system chills and pre-heats the 400-volt battery by submerging its 560 cells in 14 litres of coolant to keep it at an optimum 45 degrees Celsius.

The beauty of the C 63 plug-in hybrid is it's claimed to act more like a series-parallel hybrid than a PHEV, with engineers claiming the system can never be depleted and can deploy and recharge far faster than other hybrids.

In electric mode the rear motor can drive the small sedan at speeds of up to 140km/h but, thanks to its twin-speed transmission, can continue to provide assistance to the combustion engine right up to 250km/h.

Cleverly, the electric motor can also send instant torque to the front axle through AMG's variable all-wheel drive, allowing the system to be 100 per cent front- or rear-wheel drive.

Like the current E 63, the C 63 will be able to lock the powertrain in rear-wheel drive-only setting for lurid, smokey drifts that are expected to be supported by an advanced drift mode.

When not incinerating your rear tyres, the C 63 E Performance will be considerably more efficient than the V8 twin-turbo it replaces. Helping claw back wasted energy a button on the AMG wheel allows you to vary energy recuperation with four levels.

The first setting is best for the highway, with little energy clawed back, while level 3 allows for one-pedal driving in town and allows drivers to recover up to 90kW under braking.

On track in Race mode, meanwhile, the system automatically pre-sets to level 1 that allows enough energy to be recovered to keep the battery sufficiently charged to supply current to the motor to allow it to deploy 70kW constantly.

Torque vectoring across the rear axle using the electric motor will also boost agility.

The catch is the system weighs in at 200kg, although as much as 40-50kg of that will be offset by swapping the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 for a 2.0-litre four.

Even with a weight penalty over the 375kW V8, the new plug-in hybrid C 63e is on track to offer a 0-100km/h time of less than 3.5 seconds and a top speed of more than 300km/h.

What will be more difficult to compensate for is the lack of V8 soundtrack, but it's thought a new resonator, sound generator and, even, fake soundtrack played through the sound system will go some way to amp-up the excitement of the impossibly-quick C 63.

Set to be available in both sedan and wagon in Europe, for Australia it's safe to bet we'll get the most powerful 500kW-plus C 63e Performance S sedan and the entry 350kW C 43 with 4MATIC all-wheel drive.